General elections were held in Saint Lucia on 11 December 2006. The elections were fought between the Saint Lucia Labour Party (SLP) and the United Workers Party (UWP), which between them dominated politics in Saint Lucia. The results saw the governing Saint Lucia Labour Party lose the election to the United Workers Party led by John Compton, which gained eight seats to hold an eleven to six majority.
The last two elections in 1997 and 2001 had seen victories for the Saint Lucia Labour Party with the previous election in 2001 seeing them win 14 seats to only 3 for the United Workers Party.[1]
However in 2005 John Compton came out of retirement to become leader of the opposition United Workers Party again. Compton had led Saint Lucia to independence in 1979 and then been Prime Minister from 1982 until he resigned in 1996.[2][3] Compton defeated Vaughan Lewis in an election for the leadership of the United Workers Party with Lewis later defecting from the UWP to fight the 2006 election for the Saint Lucia labour Party.[4]
A by-election in Castries Central in March 2006 was seen as starting a long campaign for the election due in December.[5] The by-election was won by an Independent candidate Richard Frederick in a seat which the Saint Lucia Labour Party had won in the last two elections.[6] Frederick would later join the United Workers Party and stood for the party in the general election.[5]
Campaignedit
2006 campaign poster for future Saint Lucian Prime Minister Stephenson King
In the campaign the United Workers Party focused on crime, which they saw as increasing, and promised to make it a priority if they were elected.[7] Their leader Compton pledged to tackle unemployment, which they said was to blame for much of the crime in Saint Lucia.[8] They also promised to revive the banana industry in Saint Lucia and accused the Saint Lucia Labour Party of corruption and nepotism.[9] However the age of the United Workers Party leader John Compton, at 81, became an issue with the Saint Lucia Labour Party calling on voters to not entrust the country to him.[10]
The governing Saint Lucia Labour Party defended their record in office and put the strong economic growth over the last few years at the centre of their campaign.[8] They also pledged to continue tackling crime in Saint Lucia and to bring in a mandatory capital punishment for anyone convicted of murder.[8] The Saint Lucia Labour Party received assistance in the campaign from the Prime Ministers of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica who both spoke in favour of the party at rallies.[11]
The police commissioner in Saint Lucia described the election as the most peaceful yet in Saint Lucia[5] with election monitors from CARICOM and the Organisation of American States observing the election.[12] Four opinion polls as the election neared showed differing results with each political party favoured by two of the polls.[5] There was controversy over the release of a poll two days before the election which strongly favoured the Saint Lucia Labour Party, with the United Workers Party describing it as a "laughing stock" as it had been conducted back on the 25 and 26 November.[13]
Resultsedit
The results saw the United Workers Party gain a majority in the election, winning 11 of the 17 seats.[4] While the United Workers Party won a strong majority of the seats they were only around 2,000 votes, or 3%, ahead of the Saint Lucia Labour Party.[9] The election resulted in John Compton succeeding Kenny Anthony, and Compton became Prime Minister again at the age of 81.[2][7]
^. Jamaica Gleaner. 21 November 2006. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
^. Jamaica Gleaner. 11 December 2006. Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
^"St Lucia legislative election of 11 December 2006". Psephos - Adam Carr's Election Archive. Retrieved 20 May 2009.
January 01, 1970
2006, saint, lucian, general, election, general, elections, were, held, saint, lucia, december, 2006, elections, were, fought, between, saint, lucia, labour, party, united, workers, party, which, between, them, dominated, politics, saint, lucia, results, gover. General elections were held in Saint Lucia on 11 December 2006 The elections were fought between the Saint Lucia Labour Party SLP and the United Workers Party UWP which between them dominated politics in Saint Lucia The results saw the governing Saint Lucia Labour Party lose the election to the United Workers Party led by John Compton which gained eight seats to hold an eleven to six majority 2006 Saint Lucian general election 2001 11 December 2006 2006 12 11 2011 All 17 seats in the House of Assembly9 seats needed for a majorityTurnout58 46 5 73pp First party Second party Leader John Compton Kenny Anthony Party UWP Labour Party Last election 37 84 3 seats 56 01 14 seats Seats won 11 6 Seat change 8 8 Popular vote 38 894 36 604 Percentage 51 34 48 32 Swing 13 50pp 7 69ppResults by constituency Prime Minister before election Kenny Anthony Labour Party Subsequent Prime Minister John Compton UWP Contents 1 Background 2 Campaign 3 Results 3 1 By constituency 4 ReferencesBackground editThe last two elections in 1997 and 2001 had seen victories for the Saint Lucia Labour Party with the previous election in 2001 seeing them win 14 seats to only 3 for the United Workers Party 1 However in 2005 John Compton came out of retirement to become leader of the opposition United Workers Party again Compton had led Saint Lucia to independence in 1979 and then been Prime Minister from 1982 until he resigned in 1996 2 3 Compton defeated Vaughan Lewis in an election for the leadership of the United Workers Party with Lewis later defecting from the UWP to fight the 2006 election for the Saint Lucia labour Party 4 A by election in Castries Central in March 2006 was seen as starting a long campaign for the election due in December 5 The by election was won by an Independent candidate Richard Frederick in a seat which the Saint Lucia Labour Party had won in the last two elections 6 Frederick would later join the United Workers Party and stood for the party in the general election 5 Campaign edit nbsp 2006 campaign poster for future Saint Lucian Prime Minister Stephenson King In the campaign the United Workers Party focused on crime which they saw as increasing and promised to make it a priority if they were elected 7 Their leader Compton pledged to tackle unemployment which they said was to blame for much of the crime in Saint Lucia 8 They also promised to revive the banana industry in Saint Lucia and accused the Saint Lucia Labour Party of corruption and nepotism 9 However the age of the United Workers Party leader John Compton at 81 became an issue with the Saint Lucia Labour Party calling on voters to not entrust the country to him 10 The governing Saint Lucia Labour Party defended their record in office and put the strong economic growth over the last few years at the centre of their campaign 8 They also pledged to continue tackling crime in Saint Lucia and to bring in a mandatory capital punishment for anyone convicted of murder 8 The Saint Lucia Labour Party received assistance in the campaign from the Prime Ministers of St Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica who both spoke in favour of the party at rallies 11 The police commissioner in Saint Lucia described the election as the most peaceful yet in Saint Lucia 5 with election monitors from CARICOM and the Organisation of American States observing the election 12 Four opinion polls as the election neared showed differing results with each political party favoured by two of the polls 5 There was controversy over the release of a poll two days before the election which strongly favoured the Saint Lucia Labour Party with the United Workers Party describing it as a laughing stock as it had been conducted back on the 25 and 26 November 13 Results editThe results saw the United Workers Party gain a majority in the election winning 11 of the 17 seats 4 While the United Workers Party won a strong majority of the seats they were only around 2 000 votes or 3 ahead of the Saint Lucia Labour Party 9 The election resulted in John Compton succeeding Kenny Anthony and Compton became Prime Minister again at the age of 81 2 7 nbsp PartyVotes Seats United Workers Party38 89451 3411 8Saint Lucia Labour Party36 60448 326 8Independents2580 3400Total75 756100 00170Valid votes75 75697 77Invalid blank votes1 7312 23Total votes77 487100 00Registered voters turnout132 54558 46Source Caribbean Elections By constituency edit The seventeen constituency results in the election were as follows 14 Constituency Winner Party Anse la Raye Canaries Keith Mondesir United Workers Party gain Babonneau Ezekiel Joseph United Workers Party gain Castries Central Richard Frederick United Workers Party gain Castries East Philip Pierre Saint Lucia Labour Party hold Castries North Stephenson King United Workers Party gain Castries South Robert Lewis Saint Lucia Labour Party hold Castries South East Guy Joseph United Workers Party gain Choiseul Rufus Bousquet United Workers Party gain Dennery North Marcus Nicholas United Workers Party hold Dennery South Edmund Estephane United Workers Party gain Gros Islet Lenard Montoute United Workers Party gain Laborie Alva Baptiste Saint Lucia Labour Party hold Micoud North John Compton United Workers Party hold Micoud South Arsene James United Workers Party hold Soufriere Harold Dalson Saint Lucia Labour Party hold Vieux Fort North Moses Jean Baptiste Saint Lucia Labour Party hold Vieux Fort South Kenny Anthony Saint Lucia Labour Party holdReferences edit St Lucia Gov t tipped for landslide third term The Jamaica Observer 10 December 2006 Retrieved 20 May 2009 a b Sir John Compton The Daily Telegraph London 10 September 2007 Retrieved 20 May 2009 Pattullo Polly 9 September 2007 Sir John Compton guardian co uk London Retrieved 20 May 2009 a b UWP wins St Lucia polls Caribbean360 12 December 2006 Archived from the original on 27 January 2007 Retrieved 20 May 2009 a b c d ST LUCIA The day of reckoning Jamaica Gleaner 11 December 2006 Archived from the original on 21 November 2008 Retrieved 20 May 2009 St Lucia by election victory for independent candidate Caribbean Net News 14 March 2006 Archived from the original on 1 May 2008 Retrieved 20 May 2009 a b Compton is back in power in St Lucia BBC Online 12 December 2006 Retrieved 20 May 2009 a b c Independence hero claims victory Caymanian Compass 12 December 2006 Archived from the original on 28 July 2011 Retrieved 20 May 2009 a b Challenges for Compton in St Lucia s aftershock poll The Jamaica Observer 13 December 2006 Retrieved 20 May 2009 ST LUCIA Compton s age takes centre stage Jamaica Gleaner 1 November 2006 Archived from the original on 10 November 2007 Retrieved 20 May 2009 After St Lucia where next The Jamaica Observer 17 December 2006 Retrieved 20 May 2009 dead link ST LUCIA CARICOM OAS to monitor polls Jamaica Gleaner 21 November 2006 Archived from the original on 7 October 2011 Retrieved 20 May 2009 ST LUCIA Bill Johnson poll under fire Jamaica Gleaner 11 December 2006 Archived from the original on 21 November 2008 Retrieved 20 May 2009 St Lucia legislative election of 11 December 2006 Psephos Adam Carr s Election Archive Retrieved 20 May 2009 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 2006 Saint Lucian general election amp oldid 1160554417, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
